Relations of the King to Kirin
by fire and napalm
Summary: Curiosity, boredom, and far too many years stuck with the same person. Eventually a few barriers fall when the circumstances are right. Unfortunately, Keiki forgot to respect the private meeting. My take on just how close En gets, and why. -2nd concept up
1. Relations

Relations of the King to Kirin  
- Why Boredom and Curiosity Are the Most Dangerous Forces in Existence

The visiting party of Kei arrived earlier than planned, coming early in the evening, rather than the following morning. Servants were dispatched to take care of the party, and Keiki, having his own question for the king of En, went to seek out him and his taiho, Enki. Enki, however, was not in his rooms, and the servants answered that the king and taiho were having a private debate in the king's quarters. This was not unusual; Keiki felt justified in knocking and then, upon getting no response, walking in. He came in on silence, and was five steps in before he stopped dead in his tracks.

"I – I beg your pardon." Keiki stammered. "I'll -seek my question later." He managed in a strangled tone of voice, before turning and leaving quickly.

Enki straightened awkwardly and sighed. Shoryuu leaned his head back.

"Looks like Kei arrived here early." Enki observed.

"I didn't think Keiki could manage 'flustered'."

"Oh, he manages fine. _I'm_ surprised he could blush that darkly." Enki pulled free and sighed, stretching lightly and then looking a wry grimace at Shoryuu. "I think we're expected to go meet them, you know."

"And have to answer all those questions?" Shoryuu returned. "I'll blame it all on you, see if I don't."

"Relax," Enki soothed, hunting for his clothes. "He may not even ask."

IIII

"What, precisely, do you think you were up to?" Keiki demanded. His cheeks were still stained pink, although, judging by Youko's irritated expression, he had not mentioned the cause of his outrage.

Shoryuu immediately put a hand over Enki's mouth and then sat down. Enki scowled back at him.

"I wasn't going to say it."

"You were thinking it."

Enki merely shrugged and looked aside. Youko finally sighed.

"What is going on?"

"I –" Keiki stumbled to answer through his flustered mood, and finally settled on, "I simply wonder about precisely what kind of discussion they think can occur in the way they conduct their private meetings."

Shoryuu started chuckling, a strangled sound with the embarrassment behind it. Enki was smiling tightly, relaxed in his chair. Clearly, neither had any desire to elaborate. Finally, Enki coughed and managed,

"The discussion actually had already been finished. We were just relaxing."

Keiki made an angry noise. "It didn't look relaxing."

"I was actually extraordinarily comfortable." Shoryuu drawled. Enki gave him an irritated look; he'd been about to speak himself.

"I thought it was a nice change in pace." He added.

"Keiki," Youko demanded, "what is going on?"

Keiki drew himself up to his full height, and shivered in outrage as he glared at Shoryuu. His frown deepened at their quiet amusement, and answered as seriously as he could, "I had the misfortune to walk in on … It is just not right for a king to have carnal relations with his Kirin!"

Youko's eyes widened, and Enki burst into quiet laughter, a little shrill with nerves. Shoryuu snorted. "Carnal relations?" He asked. "Was that the best you could come up with?"

"Oh, Shoryuu." Enki shook his head softly. "It's Keiki. I'm surprised he even managed to say that."

"Shoryuu!" Youko yelled. "What on earth were you doing?"

Enki snickered again. "What, doesn't 'carnal relations' cut it for you?"

"Both of you stop laughing!" Youko demanded. "I just don't believe it!"

Shoryuu raised a placating hand. "Youko, there's nothing wrong with it." The ire in her face didn't diminish, so he went for the next tactic. "Besides, Enki initiated it."

"Hey!" Enki yelped. He shot a worried look at Youko's face, and returned in a sullen voice, "Your servants were the one who put peaches in your bathwater."

Youko frowned for a moment, and then asked incredulously. "What, were you … licking him?"

Enki and Shoryuu both blushed and Keiki disdainfully added, "That was not '_licking_'."

"It started that way." Enki admitted sheepishly. "I wanted to know if he tasted like peaches too, and his whining was getting irritating." He shrugged again, and added impishly, "He stopped whining."

"Yes, and then I think we have a conversation much like this one." Shoryuu drawled.

"It didn't seem to have made an impression." Keiki scathed.

Youko's face was a mask of incredulous curiosity. Shoryuu started laughing quietly, and Enki followed suit with quiet giggles. Keiki didn't seem inclined to speak again, and finally Youko scrubbed her hands over her face. "Did it actually taste like peaches?" She asked weakly.

Enki blushed and didn't answer. Youko finally looked up, and Enki, his face brilliant red, finally squeaked out, "It was some kind of sweet."

Shoryuu burst into laughter, burying his head in his hands. Enki refused to look at him and Youko just stared in horror. Keiki seemed unable to speak now, simply gaping helplessly. Finally, Youko managed to gasp,

"But you're … you're just a, a kid!"

"Hey!" Enki yelped. "I'm older than you are!" Shoryuu put his hand on Enki's shoulder and shook his head shortly.

"It was a bit odd, but Youko, he did start it. And he's as old as I am. I suppose you could attribute it to excessive boredom on our parts, and after a bit it was irritating enough that I just … forgot … that little detail … due to it being my Kirin so I could retaliate against the little shit."

Enki put on a completely innocent look at Shoryuu's mild glare.

Youko's outrage subsided a bit and she just returned to shaking her head in disbelief before she managed her own quiet laugh. "I suppose." She allowed. "Keiki, just … don't disturb them like that again."

Keiki muttered mutinously, "That was _not_ licking."

"Keiki." Youko warned. "I just don't want to know."

Shoryuu and Enki burst into laughter again. "Really Youko, it isn't that scary!"

"I don't want to know!" Youko insisted. "Really! I hardly know how that would even work, and it's really not in within my interest, or even my concern what … whatever you two get up to. I'm sure it works just fine for you." She half-squeaked on the end, and blushed even worse.

Rokuta roguishly pointed out, "Youko, have you slept with Rakushun yet?"

"No!" She straightened angrily. "And how is that relevant?"

"Well," Enki grinned. "Surely you know the _how_ of sex."

"I know quite enough to be getting on with! It just didn't cover two –two men, at any rate, and I'm not the least curious about knowing."

Things fell silent for a long moment, before Keiki stubbornly asked, "Enki, how did licking turn into _that_?"

"He said if I _had_ to lick him, I could at least lick something that would appreciate it." Enki sent Shoryuu a shrewd glance. "Honestly, I wasn't thinking _that_ when I started."

"Hey, you wouldn't leave me alone."

"I wasn't trying to be nice."

"Well, you didn't complain too much."

"Well, what if I didn't want to?"

"I never forced you-"

"It tasted funny!"

"You kept licking!"

"It was acting weird! I wanted to see how far it would go."

"_Boys!"_ Youko shouted. All three looked at her; she was bright red, and finally just stood. "Maybe … I'll just leave until you get this sorted out. Really. Wow. I didn't need to know all that."

"I'm sorry, Youko, I'll stop." Shoryuu temporized. "Rokuta, pull up a seat. Keiki, if you are quite satisfied …"

"That was not _licking._" He insisted. "It looked hideously uncomfortable and unnatural."

"Maybe Keiki needs to get laid." Enki remarked. "Keiki, really. It's not that unnatural, I'd smack Shoryuu if I didn't want it, and it's quite none of your business. Just don't walk in and I'm sure you won't get so scarred."

"I notice you didn't refute uncomfortable." Shoryuu answered.

Enki opened his mouth, closed it, and frowned and kicked his shin. "You already know _that_ answer; I won't scar Youko more."

Shoryuu chuckled warmly; Youko pulled Keiki down next to her and glared. "Not one more question about that, you hear me?"

Keiki subsided with a faintly grumbled, "That was _not_ licking."

* * *

A/N: Slightly elongated, and to be joined by a second part. The idea mentioned in the previous incarnation is stalled until I get around to reading more of the stories in more detail. But hey! You have more, thanks to a darling friend. I do hope nobody is too offended - although if you got down here, you clearly didn't leave in a huff.

Please Read and Review?

Fire and Napalm


	2. Rebuttal

What Not to Ask the King of En  
- Also Known as, If the First Chapter Didn't Exist

Youko probably should have known better, but she was homesick and curious. When she asked, however, she immediately gathered it was a mistake.

"What do you miss most about Wa, Shoryuu?"

Enki immediately groaned. "Oh, not that. Anything but that!"

Enki was a good measure of Shoryuu's mood.

Shoryuu frowned at his Kirin, but the expression stayed as he thought for a moment and then sighed. "Really … I miss sex."

Youko choked.

"Don't be so surprised." Shoryuu groused. "Rokuta doesn't notice the more intimate habits of Wa what with the lack of that interest, especially in a Kirin, but even the rest of the society, well. I've heard from a few kaikyaku that it's gotten a bit more reserved in the years and then shifting back out again, but …" He sighed deeply. "Really. I had no lack of lovers in my time, before coming here, a woman for every need, but there aren't any here. None. And it's not like the women aren't interesting, it just doesn't occur to them …" He just shrugged.

Youko had to pause for a moment before scowling in thought. "But … what about those brothels?"

"Geisha." He sighed, depressed. "Talk, Sympathy. No sex. No sex. Not even a little. Not the least, although there are a few massages, they just never cover the right area and asking would just be crude. So, I have had no sex, and it's been five hundred years." He fished for a drink and downed it briskly. "Worst thing, really. All those women, and not a one to lay with."

Youko blinked for a few more moments, digesting the information in a mild state of shock before suddenly smiling incredulously. Both Enki and Shoryuu stared at her, before Shoryuu snapped shortly, "What's the smile for?"

"You wouldn't understand." Youko chuckled weakly out. "It's not quite that great, but it makes sense and I just realized …"

Shoryuu frowned for a few moments longer before laughing shortly and shaking his head. Rokuta frowned between them.

"Well. This looks like an inside joke." Neither offered any answer other than Shoryuu's further chuckling, so Rokuta just sat back and swung his feet. "Well, at least I didn't have to hear him start ranting again. I just don't get it."

"Rokuta, you will never understand the glories of sex." Shoryuu bemoaned.

"And I don't care to!" Rokuta wrinkled his nose. "If it's anything like you described, it'd be uncomfortable. I can't believe half of that is real, much less something you want to do." He sniffed and scowled reproachfully at him. "I hardly believe those women _liked_ what you put them through!"

Youko quickly raised her hands. "Stop, please! I don't need to hear anything more!"

Shoryuu frowned, and offered, "Well, if you're curious, I could show-"

"_NO!_ Definitely _not._"

Keiki, walking in, interjected in a confused but long-suffering tone, "Rokuta, what are they going on about?"

"You don't want to know." Enki deadpanned. "Really. I didn't want to know, don't know half of it, and if you start asking he really will answer. And then you might offend Youko some more. I know you'll offend _me._"

Keiki frowned, sighed, and then offered, "How about refreshment, then?"

Youko and Enki didn't wait for Shoryuu to stop pouting before pouncing upon the welcome distraction. His token complaints were ignored. Youko made a note to not bring up Wa with Shoryuu again. At least not about missing it, anyways. She was _not_ curious, thank you.

* * *

A/N: Exercises in how to reference something and yet never naming it. Do let me know how well I succeeded. A friend read the first, then asked about this and, well, I wrote it. Gotta love Enki's sauce. Just gotta love it.

Enjoy! Please Read and Review?

Fire & Napalm


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